Surgical tube supporter

ABSTRACT

A therapeutic appliance is provided for holding a tube, or the like, along a patient&#39;&#39;s body. An elastic strap has adjustable fasteners at either end and a high friction layer along one face for frictionally engaging the patient&#39;&#39;s skin so that the elastic strap may be relatively loosely secured about the body with no appreciable constriction thereof. A tube receiving retainer is secured to the strap for releasably holding a catheter drainage tube, or the like. The retainer is a short length of strap similar to the body embracing strap and has one end sewed to the main strap with adjustable fasteners at either end so that the high friction layer may frictionally hold the tube while the elastic exerts little force against the tube.

United States Patent Muller et al.

[451 Apr. 22, 1975 SURGICAL TUBE SUPPORTER [76] Inventors: Clara L.Muller; William F. Muller, both of Lot 1003, 14099 S. Belcher Rd.,Largo, Fla. 33540 [22] Filed: Dec. 17, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 425,137

[52] US. Cl l28/349 R; 128/D1G. 26; 128/133 [51] Int. Cl A6lm 25/02 [58]Field of Search..... 128/D1G. 26, 133, 169-171, 128/327, 349 R, 348, 350R, 351

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,669,231 2/1954 Fisher128/133 3,086,529 4/1963 Munz et al 128/327 3,726,279 4/1973 Barefoot eta1. 128/327 3,726,280 4/1973 Lacount 128/349 R 3,765,421 10/1973 Poprik128/349 R Primary Examiner-Dalton L. Trulock Attorney, Agent, orFirm-Robert F. Ruemeli 57] ABSTRACT A therapeutic appliance is providedfor holding a tube, or the like, along a patients body. An elastic straphas adjustable fasteners at either end and a high friction layer alongone face for frictionally engaging the patients skin so that the elasticstrap may be relatively loosely secured about the body with noappreciable constriction thereof. A tube receiving retainer is securedto the strap for releasably holding a catheter drainage tube, or thelike. The retainer is a short length of strap similar to the bodyembracing strap and has one end sewed to the main strap with adjustablefasteners at either end so that the high friction layer may frictionallyhold the tube while the elastic exerts little force against the tube.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures SURGICAL TUBE SUPPORTER This inventionrelates to a therapeutic appliance and, more particularly, to anappliance for securing a tube, or the like, along a patients body.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is often necessary to support or retaincatheter drainage tubes, I.V. tubes, or the like, along the patientsbody. This can be done by simply holding the tube in place with adhesivetape, or with gauze wrapped around the tube and the patients leg or arm,or by various commercial appliances. One such appliance, a CATHETERSUPPORT, is shown in a patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,280, in which anelastic band is secured about the patients thigh and has an end portionfor clamping a portion of the catheter tube itself to the thigh. A majordifficulty with this type of appliance is the likelyhood of constrictingthe thigh. Also, with the tube connection at the attaching end, thecatheter tube is likely to be disturbed when adjusting the strap. Also,movement of the legs may interfere with the strap connectors.

Other patents of a somewhat related nature include U.S. Pat. No.3,730,187, U.S. Pat. No. 3,019,791, U.S. Pat. No. 2,669,231, and U.S.Pat. No. 2,133,130. Other patents known to applicant include U.S. Pat.No. 3,752,158, U.S. Pat. No. 3,273,563, U.S. Pat. No. 3,146,778, U.S.Pat. No. 3,086,529, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,049,123.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a new and usefultherapeutic appliance. Another object is provision of a new and usefultherapeutic appliance for securing a tube, or the like, along a patientsbody.

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a newand useful therapeutic appliance for securing a tube, or the like, alonga patients body, the appliance including an elastic strap having a highfriction layer on one face for engaging the patients skin so that thestrap may be relatively loosely tightened about the patients bodywithout appreciable constriction of the body. A related object isprovision of a retainer in the form of a strap secured at one end to themain strap and having a high friction layer for frictionally holding thetube while applying relatively little force to the tube when the freeend of the strap is releasably secured to the fixed end. Longitudinallyextending ribs are preferably formed in the high friction layer forincreasing its frictional holding capacity and keeping the main strapfrom moving along the patients body. Both the main strap and the tuberetainer are preferably provided with adjustable fasteners such as theconventional Velcro fasteners.

THE INVENTION IN BRIEF The invention is, in brief, directed to atherapeutic appliance in the form of an elastic strap which may beadjustably tightened about a portion of a patients body, such as thethigh, the strap having a high friction layer on one of its faces forengaging the patients skin so that the strap may be relatively looselysecured about the thigh while being firmly retained thereon by the highfriction layer. A retainer for a tube, or the like, is secured to thestrap and has adjustable fastener means for holding a tube. The retaineris also preferably in the form of a strap similar to the main strap andhaving a high friction layer so that the tube may be firmly held inplace without exerting a high constrictive force on the tube. Theretainer strap is preferably obliquely secured to the main strap forconvenient positioning a catheter drainage tube extending, in typicalmanner, from a catheter tube to a container.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following description and the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspectiveview of a preferred embodiment of a catheter strap secured about apatients thigh with a retainer holding a catheter drainage tube;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, foreshortened view of the inner face of the strapwhen removed from the patients thigh, with the drainage tube indicatedin phantom lines;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but of the outer face of the strap;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view, taken generally alongthe line 4-4 in FIG. 3, showing the tube retainer in closed positionholding the tube;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of the outer face of the strapwith the tube retainer in open position to receive the tube.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing, FIG.1 shows an elastic strap 10 secured about the thigh of a patients bodyand having a retainer 12 holding a catheter drainage tube 14 in placeacross the patients thigh. An inner end of the tube is connected intypical manner with the outer end of a typical urinary catheter l6.Retainer 12 is preferably obliquely secured to an outer face 18 of thestrap, at an angle generally as indicated in the drawings, so that theouter end of the drainage tube 14 may be conveniently placed across thethigh of the patient with the inner end of the drainage tube 14 and thecatheter 16 slack to avoid pulling on the catheter as the patient movesabout.

The illustrated embodiment of the strap 10 includes an elastic fabricportion 20, an inner face 22 thereof having a high friction layer 24laminated thereon for preventing slipping of the strap 10 on thepatients thigh so that only very slight tension is required in holdingthe strap, thus preventing constriction of the leg.

The strap 10 may be of any suitable material such as a commerciallyavailable material normally used for waistbands and the like in womensapparel, and manufactured by United Elastic Company, Division of .I. P.Stephens and Company, Inc:., New Haven, Conn., Model Number 7-4253 WRwidth 2l-Rl, for example.

Opposite ends of the strap 10 are provided with releasable andadjustable fasteners, such as cooperating Velcro fasteners 26 havingparts stitched, as at 28, to opposite ends of the strap 10. Moreparticularly, one end of the inner surface 22 of the strap 10 has arelatively short Velcro piece 30 secured thereto, and the outer face 18of the other end of the strap 10 has a relatively long piece of Velcro32 (approximately 4 inches) secured thereto to permit adjustment of thestrap around the patients thigh while effectively preventing contact ofthe Velcro piece 30 with the patients skin. While the surface of thehigh friction material 24 is available in several patterns, thepreferred material has longitudinally extending ribs which cause lessabrasion of the patients skin than transverse, diagonal or crisscrossconfiguration. Stitching 28 also secures a label 33 to the out face 18of the strap 20 opposite the Velcro piece 30.

The drainage tube retainer 12, as shown best in FIGS. 4 and 5, ispreferably made of the same material as the strap 10 and has an innerface 34 with a high friction layer 36 having longitudinally extendingribs, as previously described, for gripping the tube 14 with the ribstransverse the longitudinal axis of the tube I4, to better hold the tubein position. The drainage tube 14 is positioned across the open retainerl2 (FIG. whereupon the free end of the retainer 12 is folded across thetube 14 and the Velcro fasteners 38 engaged to hold the tube in place,as shown in FIG. 4. Only a very small amount of force is requiredagainst the tube 14 to hold it in place because of the friction layer 36and its ribs. Stitching 40 secures the Velcro fastener 38 to the fixedend of the retainer 12 and also secures the retainer to the outer face18 of the strap I0. Similarly, stitching 42 secures the other Velcrofastener 38 to the free end of the retainer 12.

While the angular disposition of the retainer 12, as shown in thedrawing, is desirable when the strap is to be secured to the right thighof the patient, the disposition of the retainer 12 should be reversed ifthe strap is to be applied to the left thigh. To provide more universalapplicability, the retainer 12 may be secured in a perpendicularposition relative to the strap 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the retainer 12 is preferably considerably closer tothe Velcro fastener 30 on the inner face 22 of the strap 10, than it isto the Velcro fastener 32 on the outer face 18 of the strap, so that thefree ends of the strap may be secured to each other proximate the outer,upper portion of the thigh with the re tainer 12 positioned generally asshown along the inner portion of the thigh.

The strap is devoid of any metal parts which may disturb the patient orpossibly damage the drainage tube 14. Since the strap is washable it maybe reused by the patient, and the strap may be provided in variouslengths suitable for an individual patient.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with reference toa particular embodiment in a particular environment, various changes maybe apparent to one skilled in the art and the invention is not to belimited to such embodiment or environment, except as set forth in theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A therapeutic appliance for securing a tube, or the like, along apatients body member, the appliance comprising a flexible elastic strapfor encircling the body member, fastener means spaced apart along thestrap for releasably securing the strap about the body member, means inthe form of a yieldable layer having a high friction surface extendingalong one face of the strap for effectively the entire length of thestrap between the fastener means for firmly engaging the body member andretaining the strap in place along the body member with sufficientlylight pressure exerted by the strap that there is substantially noappreciably constriction of the body member by the strap, said meansfurther comprising a raised pattern on said surface for more secureengagement of the body member by the appliance, and means comprising aretainer operatively associated with the strap for receiving andretaining the tube.

2. An appliance as set forth in claim 1 in which the pattern comprisesribs extending longitudinally of the layer.

3. An appliance as set forth in claim 1 in which the retainer comprisesa strap, means for securing the last said strap about the tube, andmeans in the form of a yieldable high friction layer on one face of thelast said strap for engaging the tube and firmly retaining the tube inplace.

4. An appliance as set forth in claim 1 in which the strap has oppositeend portions, the fastener means includes cooperating fastener parts,one on each of said end portions, for releasably securing the strapabout the body member, and the retainer is secured to the strapintermediate said end portions.

5. An appliance as set forth in claim 4 in which the retainer is securedto the strap substantially closer to one of the end portions than to theother.

6. An appliance as set forth in claim 5 in which the retainer comprisesa second strap having opposite end portions, one secured to a face ofthe first said strap opposite said layer, cooperating fastener parts onthe last said end portions for releasably securing the end portions toeach other, and a yieldable high friction layer along one face of thesecond strap for receiving and firmly retaining the tube with a verysmall force applied to the tube by the second strap when the ends of thesecond strap are secured to each other.

7. An appliance as set forth in claim 6 in which the layers of thestraps are pliable and have ribs extending longitudinally between therespective end portions thereof, and the fastener parts are adjustablefor varying the forces applied to the body and to the tube.

8. An appliance as set forth in claim 7 in which said fastener parts areVelcro.

9. An appliance as set forth in claim I in which the strap has oppositeend portions with cooperating fastener parts for securing the strapabout the body, and the high friction surface is pliable and has ribsextending longitudinally between the end portions of the strap, and thefastener means is adjustable for varying the force applied by the strapto the body.

10. An appliance as set forth in claim I in which the fastener means hascooperating fastener parts spaced apart along the strap, and theretainer is secured to the strap closer to one of the fastener partsthan to the

1. A therapeutic appliance for securing a tube, or the like, along apatient''s body member, the appliance comprising a flexible elasticstrap for encircling the body member, fastener means spaced apart alongthe strap for releasably securing the strap about the body member, meansin the form of a yieldable layer having a high friction surfaceextending along one face of the strap for effectively the entire lengthof the strap between the fastener means for firmly engaging the bodymember and retaining the strap in place along the body member withsufficiently light pressure exerted by the strap that there issubstantially no appreciably constriction of the body member by thestrap, said means further comprising a raised pattern on said surfacefor more secure engagement of the body member by the appliance, andmeans comprising a retainer operatively associated with the strap forreceiving and retaining the tube.
 1. A therapeutic appliance forsecuring a tube, or the like, along a patient''s body member, theappliance comprising a flexible elastic strap for encircling the bodymember, fastener means spaced apart along the strap for releasablysecuring the strap about the body member, means in the form of ayieldable layer having a high friction surface extending along one faceof the strap for effectively the entire length of the strap between thefastener means for firmly engaging the body member and retaining thestrap in place along the body member with sufficiently light pressureexerted by the strap that there is substantially no appreciablyconstriction of the body member by the strap, said means furthercomprising a raised pattern on said surface for more secure engagementof the body member by the appliance, and means comprising a retaineroperatively associated with the strap for receiving and retaining thetube.
 2. An appliance as set forth in claim 1 in which the patterncomprises ribs extending longitudinally of the layer.
 3. An appliance asset forth in claim 1 in which the retainer comprises a strap, means forsecuring the last said strap about the tube, and means in the form of ayieldable high friction layer on one face of the last said strap forengaging the tube and firmly retaining the tube in plaCe.
 4. Anappliance as set forth in claim 1 in which the strap has opposite endportions, the fastener means includes cooperating fastener parts, one oneach of said end portions, for releasably securing the strap about thebody member, and the retainer is secured to the strap intermediate saidend portions.
 5. An appliance as set forth in claim 4 in which theretainer is secured to the strap substantially closer to one of the endportions than to the other.
 6. An appliance as set forth in claim 5 inwhich the retainer comprises a second strap having opposite endportions, one secured to a face of the first said strap opposite saidlayer, cooperating fastener parts on the last said end portions forreleasably securing the end portions to each other, and a yieldable highfriction layer along one face of the second strap for receiving andfirmly retaining the tube with a very small force applied to the tube bythe second strap when the ends of the second strap are secured to eachother.
 7. An appliance as set forth in claim 6 in which the layers ofthe straps are pliable and have ribs extending longitudinally betweenthe respective end portions thereof, and the fastener parts areadjustable for varying the forces applied to the body and to the tube.8. An appliance as set forth in claim 7 in which said fastener parts areVelcro.
 9. An appliance as set forth in claim 1 in which the strap hasopposite end portions with cooperating fastener parts for securing thestrap about the body, and the high friction surface is pliable and hasribs extending longitudinally between the end portions of the strap, andthe fastener means is adjustable for varying the force applied by thestrap to the body.